Tell Us a Story
by Gamma Orionis
Summary: Bellatrix tells her two younger sisters a bedtime story. Pretty much K, rated for spookiness


Author's Notes: A young Black sisters story. Narcissa is eight, Andromeda eleven, Bellatrix fourteen (or thereabouts). I'm writing this while on cold medication, so please don't judge it too harshly.

)O(

"Tell us a story, Bella," Narcissa said, climbing onto Bellatrix's lap.

At eight, Narcissa was far too big to sit on her sister's lap like a child, but Bellatrix didn't complain.

"Yes, tell us a story," Andromeda agreed, crawling over her bed and looking hopefully at Bellatrix. "Please?"

Bellatrix smiled indulgently. "What story would you like?"

"I want a new story!" Narcissa told her, wrapping her arms around Bellatrix's neck and laying her head on Bellatrix's shoulder.

"A new story?" Bellatrix glanced between her two younger sisters. "Do you both want a new story?"

"Yes, please," Andromeda said. She folded her hands in her lap and knelt like a praying penitent, looking at Bellatrix with a look of innocent hope. "Can you tell us a new story, pretty please, Bella?"

Bellatrix laughed at Andromeda's earnest demeanor. "All right, then. Narcissa, go sit with Andromeda."

Narcissa scrambled off her oldest sister's lap and knelt on the other bed, at Andromeda's side. Bellatrix drew her legs under her, twisting them into a comfortable position, and began.

"Once upon a time," she began, smiling ironically at the simplistic beginning, "there was… a beautiful princess named Narcissa–"

"Why don't I ever get to be the princess?" Andromeda interrupted. She wasn't being difficult, just asking an honest question. It was true. Bellatrix never made Andromeda a princess.

"You'll come in soon enough," Bellatrix assured her. "But first, let me tell you about this Princess Narcissa. Princess Narcissa had long, blonde hair, and beautiful pale skin, and her blood was as pure as diamonds. And she was sweet, and kind, and innocent."

Narcissa smiled happily.

"But one day," continued Bellatrix, her voice going low and spooky, "when Princess Narcissa was playing in the palace garden, she was kidnapped by an evil queen named Queen Bellatrix."

Narcissa and Andromeda giggled.

"Princess Narcissa's parents, King Cygnus and Queen Druella were distraught. They sent out a message all across the kingdom that anyone who could save their beautiful daughter would inherit half the kingdom when they died. Many knights went to try to save Princess Narcissa from Queen Bellatrix, but none of them ever came back. Finally, every single knight in the kingdom was dead.

"Then, one day, a woman turned up at the palace. She told the palace house-elves that she wanted to see King Cygnus and Queen Druella."

"Who is she?" Narcissa asked breathlessly.

"Her name," Bellatrix said dramatically, "was Lady Andromeda. And she told King Cygnus and Queen Druella that _she_ would save their daughter!"

Andromeda beamed.

"Lady Andromeda was brave, and strong, and very, very smart, and she figured out how to get Princess Narcissa back from Queen Bellatrix. She traveled to Queen Bellatrix's palace, which was littered with the dead bodies of knights. It was obvious to Lady Andromeda that she wouldn't be able to win a duel against Queen Bellatrix. So she disguised herself as a beggar woman and went to the door.

"Queen Bellatrix greeted her and asked why she was there. Lady Andromeda said that she was here to organize a trade. She would give Queen Bellatrix anything she wanted if Queen Bellatrix let Princess Narcissa go. Queen Bellatrix laughed and asked what Andromeda could possibly have that she would want."

Bellatrix paused and her voice shook a little as she began the next sentence.

"Lady Andromeda had anticipated this, and she pulled from her pocket a bottle of potion. She uncorked it, and Queen Bellatrix smelled… burning nutmeg… and firewood… and hot wax… and snakes."

"Was it amortentia?" Narcissa squealed.

"It was indeed," Bellatrix said. "Well, Queen Bellatrix took the bottle, and sent her house elf to fetch Princess Narcissa. Lady Andromeda brought Princess Narcissa home to her parents, and they were so happy that they adopted Lady Andromeda as their own daughter, and left the whole kingdom to her, and they lived happily ever after."

"What happened to Queen Bellatrix?" Andromeda asked.

Bellatrix laughed. "Queen Bellatrix gave the amortentia to the man she loved. He fell madly in love with her, and they were married, and they lived happily ever after as well."

Narcissa smiled. "That's a good ending." She crawled into her bed, and pulled the covers up to her neck.

"Thank you for telling us the story, Bella," Andromeda said politely. She hugged Bellatrix, and climbed into her own bed. Bellatrix kissed both her sisters on their foreheads, then turned off the lights and lay down.

Andromeda watched her sister quietly for some minutes.

"Bella?" she whispered.

"Mm-hmm?" Bellatrix didn't move, didn't open her eyes.

"Who did Queen Bellatrix give the amortentia to?"

"Mmm mmmemuh,"

Andromeda sighed, and turned over.

She dreamed about the story. In her dream, she was dressed in rags, and covered in dirt. She was clutching the bottle of love potion, trying to give it to the two women who were standing before her.

There was Bellatrix, a silver circlet in the shape of a snake set in her black curls. She was looking at Andromeda with a look of pure disgust on her face. Narcissa was standing next to her. Her hands were tied behind her back and she was gagged, but even she looked repulsed with Andromeda.

Andromeda held out the potion. Bellatrix laughed, and shook her head.

The bottle exploded, and Andromeda was showered with broken glass and sweet smells.

)O(

Fin


End file.
